Syrian rebels capture key village near Aleppo city

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian activists say rebels have seized a strategic village on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo.

The capture of Khan al-Assal is a rare bright spot for Syria’s rebels, who have been battered in recent months by government forces on several fronts in the nation’s civil war.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says opposition fighters took full control of Khan al-Assal on the western outskirts of Aleppo on Monday.

The village has been the site of frequent clashes between the army and rebels for months.

In March, chemical weapons were allegedly used in an attack in the village, killing more than 30 people. The Syrian government and the rebels blame each other for the attack, and both have demanded an international investigation.